A Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery, Book 1
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Date Published: March 22, 2023
Narrator: Alyssa Baumann
Run Time: 11 hours, 4 minutes
"An action-packed adventure blended smoothly with mystery and hope.... The character development is well done and complete.... The plot twists...are smooth and deliberate. Carter did an excellent job of making the story feel authentic and realistic through dialogue and rich imagery. It was well-written, and engaging and the narrator was the right fit!.... Alyssa Baumann captured and projected the personality of Veronica perfectly. She is very adept at projecting emotions and situations in a clear and intense manner. The excitement and energy she brought to the book were spot-on." — AudioBookReviewer
The debut book in the Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery series opens with escalating suspense and intensifies into a resilient fight for survival. With its engaging combination of canine and human personalities, thrilling plot, and gorgeous Colorado backdrop, Dogged Pursuit will appeal to dog lovers, outdoors enthusiasts, and mystery lovers alike.
Veronica Kildare cannot believe her luck–being shot at, again, by the bad guys. The sound, the feel of the bullet, and the hatred resonate for more than just the transitory moment of impact. She has relocated to a new state, but brutality has rampaged into this life as well. As the survivor of a senseless act of violence in her former life, Veronica struggles to recover from the lingering physical and emotional scars by working as a dog handler near Boulder, Colorado. Empowered by her intense bond with her search and rescue and drug detection dog, Leda, she finally begins to shake off the pain of her past. Then Veronica is drawn into the puzzling search for a scientist who has vanished near Rocky Mountain National Park.
Dr. Randy Jeffers has inexplicably disappeared on the eve of his testimony in the high profile murder trial of a pro basketball player and the police are baffled. As Veronica and Leda traverse rugged Roosevelt National Forest in a desperate search testing the limits of their abilities, it is not initially clear who has targeted Dr. Jeffers, or why. But it becomes shockingly obvious that someone will stop at nothing to silence him forever. The kidnappers with murder on their mind have guns, but Veronica has Leda and her own blossoming resilience as her weapons in their struggle for survival.
Interview with Tracy Carter
How many books have you written and which is your favorite?
I have written two books, DOGGED PURSUIT, and LAWYERS, DOGS, AND MONEY, which will be published at the end of 2023. It is very hard to choose a favorite because I had the title, plot, and characters for my debut novel in my head for YEARS before I sat down and wrote it. My late father was a wonderful writer and I think he would have been so proud to see my book published. Incidentally, he is the inspiration for the main character’s father in the series. I love LAWYERS, GUNS, AND MONEY because I get to build on the secondary characters in the series and add dimension to their roles individually and in the ongoing story of Veronica and Leda.
If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?
The second book in the Veronica Kildare K-9 Mystery series, LAWYERS, DOGS, AND MONEY, highlights Veronica's natural affinity for training dogs—including peanut allergy alert and prison contraband sniffing dogs—and her passion for locating missing people. As the book unfolds, she joins her search and rescue partner, a deputy sheriff for Boulder County, in trying to ascertain the source of threats against Kadri Ilves, a co-worker of Sgt. Donovan's daughter at a high-end import/export business. The woman being targeted is a native of Estonia and has a long history of advocating for social justice issues. Veronica's father assists the investigation by researching Kadri's background, including her work to end racial disparity in prison sentencing, and legal claims she has filed relative to disputed lands in Estonia—a cause which may have put her in the crosshairs of the California branch of the Russian mafia. The book concludes with a stunning showdown involving all the main characters, and a shocking final twist related to the central mystery.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Each work can be read as a separate mystery, but I have personally always loved reading a mystery series which follows the main character and the secondary characters throughout the course of the books. Veronica is recovering from a horrific and tragic incident of workplace violence and I illustrate her path toward healing with the help of dogs, her father, and her friends. But the echoes of that past tragedy continue to shadow her despite her relocation to Colorado and all the progress she has made. I also have big plans for Michael, her assistant trainer, in upcoming books.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
I knew I wanted to have the title make some reference to dogs and a key component of the book relates to a massive and terrifying pursuit through the Roosevelt National Forest. Putting those two things together made DOGGED PURSUIT pop into my head (about twenty years ago)!
How long did it take you to write this book?
I researched material for the red herrings and concepts I had planned for the book for several months. The actual writing of the rough draft took about eight or nine weeks, writing four to six hours a day. My elderly dog supervised the entire process while napping after her morning rambles with me in the woods. (She has just completed oversight on the completion of book two.)
What does the title mean?
The title has multiple meanings to me. The obvious meaning is the fortitude and determination which Veronica and Leda exhibit as a search team, no matter the hardship or conditions, in their quest to locate lost individuals. The deeper meaning to me is the bravery and resilience Veronica shows as she strives to recover from her nightmarish past and achieve a sort of peace.
What did you learn when writing the book?
I did tons of research when I was planning the red herrings for the book. I learned that I still enjoy researching despite being a number of years removed from college. And I continue to be amazed at all the ways dogs can be trained to enhance the lives of their owners. I highlight the training of different service dogs in each book.
What surprised you the most?
I was surprised and pleased to discover how much I relished the whole process of writing a book. I loved researching, the dogs, developing the characters, writing action scenes, and constructing a little bit of a cliffhanger epilogue! It is quite fun and rewarding putting a story together from start to finish.
Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
Great question! I almost killed off one of the characters in my upcoming second book, but I ended up loving her so much that I changed the arc of her story 180 degrees, and she will be joining us in future books. I have a feeling the readers will love her too! Veronica and Leda, her search and rescue dog, are all about saving people and I really want to emphasize their abilities and the positive. Having said that, a murder does occur in book three, at least in my initial planning!
What do you do to get inside your character’s heads?
For Veronica and her father, I started with what I knew. I have a background working as an assistant trainer for a highly respected dog obedience school. That gave me the foundation for her focus on dogs. My own father was the inspiration for Veronica’s father, and I have a pretty good idea how he would react to certain incidents! I usually think of someone I know well when I want to figure out how a particular character would behave under certain circumstances and build from there.
Thank you so much for interviewing me!
About the Author
Tracy Carter graduated from the University of Glasgow, Scotland with a master's degree in history. Her lengthy career as a legal assistant has included stints at international law firms and prosecutors' offices, followed by jobs as the horse identifier at two thoroughbred racetracks — all while training dogs in obedience and rally. She lives near Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and Llewellin Setter (aka the diva).
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